After sewing a mere one Christmas card last year, time time around I was determined to make some more. Luckily Christmas has coincided with me getting back into my stitching habit to stitching away was a welcome hobby rather than a chore.
Cross stitching for Christmas cards is a perfect way of stitching for a couple of reasons - it's quick, you can normally whip them out in an evening and it's a get chance to use up lots of scraps - both material and floss wise. All of the designs either out of old magazines or freebies from the web and with use of a glue gun, some blank cards and a letter stamp, they came together pretty well and for once really cheap as the cards were the only thing I had to buy (for like $4 from JoAnns). Score.
So the six designs feature a Santa (Cross Stitch magazine July 1989), robin & deer (Cross Stitcher magazine website 2014), Noel & Seasons Tweetings (Cross Stitcher Magazine #259 - November 2012) and a Christmas tree (adapted from a J M Cochrane design).
I have to admit, I'm pretty pleased with them myself. It was a great chance to stitch with some colours I wouldn't necessarily work with (the bright pink for example) and cute designs are always fun, especially when you can finish them quickly. Plus I like to think they are a little extra special hand making someone a card, hopefully their intended recipients will appreciate them too.
Have you been making anything special for Christmas?
Your cards are so pretty! I love making cards for all occasions and I wanted to make some for Christmas but the time just got away from me :) maybe next year!
ReplyDeleteThank you. It's something you certainly have to start working on when autumn rolls round, or probably even earlier. It's funny how Christmas always seems to roll around early on you when you're super busy. It sneaks up every year!
DeleteAh these look so good! I am still determined to finish my London cross stitch before Christmas but not sure if it will happen. I love little cross stitch projects as they come together so much quicker! x
ReplyDeleteJasmin Charlotte | UK Lifestyle Blog
Def agree with you there. Cracking them out in a night while watching TV is an awesome way to relax for me. Although it reminds me of how fast I stitch and need to slow down at the same time lol. I hope you share your London cross stitch, sounds fun!
DeleteThe Bambi one is so cute :)
ReplyDeleteLizzie's Daily Blog
The original design suggested having a little real bell on his neck, would have been cute to have added one in!
DeleteThese are gorgeous, next year I am going to get organised enough to stitch some cards! x
ReplyDeleteYey! It's something I love doing every year and hopefully i'll make some more next year too. Thinking of making some just general birthday/thank you cards in cross stitch too just to use up some of my scraps!
DeleteThese are absolutely adorable! I've tried cross stitch in the past but I just don't seem to have the patience for anything crafty.
ReplyDeleteLisa - astarfellonher.wordpress.com
It's weird, I don't have patience for much in life, but in crafting, especially cross stitch i'm pretty patience, and to truly honest a perfectionist to the point i'll pull things out 10 times to get it just right. It slows my busy mind down for sure, which for me, and being typically highly stressed me, is always welcome!
DeleteWell these are just the most adorable cards ever! I haven't done a cross-stitch in years, I used to love them though! x
ReplyDeleteThank you. I seem to go through fits and starts with cross stitch. It's been on off for the last 7 or so years (although i've been stitching since I was 5) I just roll with the times i'm really into it.
Deletegah. these are just TOO CUTE. and the fact that you made them yourself make them all the more amazing and wonderful. how charmed the recipients must be!!! this is such a terribly good idea.
ReplyDeleteLast year i make my sisters and mom each an apron from a vintage pattern. but this year i just designed t-shirts and put together a cd for each of them. much faster, but still, the handmade is just too special.
awesome job!
Thank you - I love anything handmade. I'd love to make some more kitchen/baking gifts I will be honest but with the distance between me and the rest of the family, it's rarely an option!
DeleteI've just got in to cross stitch this year and its the first crafty thing I've managed to stick at! I'm a bit of a quote horder so I make used of alphabet patterns the most, but that said they're often much more time consuming than pictures! I never thought of stitching cards though - yours are beautiful :) x
ReplyDeleteGrace
They are? I guess they are more time consuming them these little ones. But my down fall is being a quick sticker, i'd probably wip up a quote in a night. It's bad!
DeleteWhoever receives those are incredibly lucky people. The time, effort, thought, skill (etc etc) that went into each of those cards, make for a special gesture. Awesome stuff!
ReplyDeleteGemma
Faded Windmills
Thank you - I'm always so pleased how they turn out!
DeleteWhat a cute idea! They're so pretty and make a unique gift!
ReplyDeleteDon't they just?! Wish i'd started doing these years ago!
DeleteThese are SO cute! You are really good with that stamp too, the Merry Christmas looks like it's in a perfectly straight line. Whenever I try and stamp words they always turn out crooked lol
ReplyDeleteJessica
the.pyreflies.org
Haha yeah, let's forget how I ruined one of the cards because I stamped it the wrong way/upside down around lol
DeleteSo cute and so much nicer to receive than a traditional store bought card! I'm crafty in some ways but definitely not as far as stitching goes, so I'd probably just make a mess of them if I tried. ; )
ReplyDeleteThat's how I feel about knitting!!
DeleteI do like the Christmas tree!
ReplyDeleteWe never do anything like this, we're just not crafty people, plus we have the kind of family that don't really appreciate that kind of thing. Sigh.
I haven't even bought Christmas cards, no doubt, like last year, we won't buy them in time to reach the UK by Christmas haha
Yeah, the Christmas tree design originally didn't have the "tinsel" but it didn't look right without it!
DeleteI suck at mainly stuff out on time for it reaching the UK, talking of which the deadline for me is tomorrow. Luckily this time around it's all ready and wrapped.
These are cute! I'm still working on my christmas cards. I downloaded those same deer and robin cards but have yet do anything with them.
ReplyDeleteThese are the cutest things, and such a sweet idea.
ReplyDeletewowwww what a lovely collection. your this post inspired me. Thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuu very much! Liuba x
ReplyDeleteI love your idea for cards. I have yet to start working on mine, but I should because time is running fast!
ReplyDeleteThose look pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteYou are so super creative!!! I think I'm gonna steal this idea for my cards NEXT YEAR! :)
ReplyDeleteThese are adorable! Now I feel like a slacker for not even sending out store-bought cards...
ReplyDeleteI've had this open in a tab for ages just waiting until I had time to comment. All of these are so cute and really creative. I particularly love the little fawn one and the robin one. I wish I was good at something like this! Haha.
ReplyDeleteDebi x
You clever bean! And how thoughtful, I love them so much! I am going to make cards this weekend but I am thinking of knitting bits for them
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